Set of Two Cups and Saucers c. 1900

These two cups and saucers were made by Pierre-Adrien Dalpayrat sometime between 1844 and 1910, but the exact date is unknown. Dalpayrat was a French ceramicist who was part of the Art Nouveau movement, which sought to combine fine and decorative arts. The movement embraced natural forms and the kind of rich colors that you see on this stoneware. The way the glaze pools and swirls references organic processes, but it also bears witness to the high-firing techniques Dalpayrat pioneered in his studio in the French countryside. The dark blue shade imitates the look of Chinese porcelain, which was highly prized at the time and collected by elites. His ceramics were very much a luxury product, intended for display in bourgeois homes and purchased from galleries. Art historians study auction records and dealer catalogs to better understand how Dalpayrat’s art circulated and how it was valued in its own time. Art is never created in a vacuum, and understanding these kinds of social factors can give us greater insight into the work.